A related art information processing apparatus, for example, a multifunction device, typically has a plurality of functions such as a facsimile function and a copy function. When the information processing apparatus is connected to a terminal, such as a computer, transmission data to be transmitted using the facsimile function of the information processing apparatus is input from the terminal to the information processing apparatus. The information processing apparatus transmits the input transmission data to an external apparatus through a line, such as a telephone line, that connects the information processing apparatus and the external apparatus. JP-A-2004-304320 describes a related art information processing apparatus that is connected to a terminal by a universal serial bus (USB). Transmission data, e.g., image data, is written from the terminal into a fax transmission folder provided in a virtual drive area set in the related art information processing apparatus via the USB. The related art information processing apparatus recognizes that the transmission data has been written, and transmits the data to the specified destination, i.e., the external apparatus, over the telephone line.
However, the related art information processing apparatus described above has some disadvantages. The related art information processing apparatus is connected to the terminal by the USB, and thus a USB driver program needs to be previously installed in the terminal. Therefore, only a terminal which has the USB driver program installed can use the facsimile function as mentioned above. Thus, there is a problem of poor usability. Accordingly, data cannot be easily written from the terminal into the virtual drive area of the related art information processing apparatus and transmitted simply through the information processing apparatus to the external apparatus by fax.